Inaugural depression walk raises awareness

Despite years of public awareness campaigns, despite the emergence of high profile spokespeople, despite the fact that between 20 and 25 per cent of Canadians will suffer from some kind of mood or anxiety disorder in their lifetime, mental illness remains the elephant in the room that many people don't want to talk about.

On May 30, the Yorkton Mental Health Drop-In Centre joined the Mood Disorders Society of Canada in its Defeat Depression Campaign.

Jackie Washenfelder, executive director of the drop-in centre, said the elephant is getting smaller, but the stigma of depression is still very real.

"Society expects us to be strong," she explained. "People don't want to talk about it when they feel like they're failing or they can't cope, which can lead to complications."

On top of the impact on personal and family relationships, education, work and/or community involvement, those complications can be very dire.

"Individuals with mental illnesses can develop physical symptoms and illnesses, such as weight loss and the biological disturbances associated with eating disorders, or depression contributing to diabetes or a heart attack," states the 2006 report The Human face of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Canada by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

People who suffer from depression also, predictably, have an elevated risk of suicide.

The causes of mental illness are complex and the links between specific illnesses and the specific brain dysfunction that occurs are not well understood, but PHAC identifies several risk factors that are fairly well-established. These include genetics, poverty, sexual abuse, domestic violence and bullying.

In recent years, many high-profile Canadians have begun to break the silence. NHL star Theo Fleury's bombshell book Playing with Fire that chronicles his sexual abuse at the hands of his minor hockey coach and ensuing struggles with anxiety, depression and drug abuse, has gone a long way to reducing some of the stigma.

Michael Landsberg, host of TSN's sports talk show Off the Record has also come out as a leading spokesperson for the disease. It was a magazine featuring Landsberg's story on the cover that alerted Washenfelder about the Defeat Depression Campaign.

In a bid to raise awareness locally and raise funds to expand drop-in centre services, the inaugural Yorkton Defeat Depression Walk was born. Washenfelder was pleased with the result.

"For a first year, the amount of people who did come out to support us, I believe it was very successful," she said.

More than 40 people turned out to participate in the walk led by Yorkton Mayor Bob Maloney helping organizers surpass a fund-raising goal of $2,500. The top fundraiser was Christina Turner ($427) followed by Washenfelder ($300), Kendra Fisher ($250), Kara Molnar ($210) and Darlene Stakiw ($150).

Washenfelder was very thankful to everyone who participated, particularly the people from the community who aren't directly involved with the centre.

"That's huge and one more step in moving forward," she said.

Organizers expect the second annual walk will be even bigger and better.

The Yorkton Mental Health Drop-In Centre is a non-profit organization that has been operating since the 1960s. It offers a variety of programs and recreational activities to help clients foster personal growth and independence, develop a sense of belonging and have a common location to congregate.

The centre is located at 83 North Street.